These delightful red, white and blue Rice Krispie treats are the perfect menu addition for your Memorial Day party or 4th of July celebration. They combine classic Rice Krispie squares with a fun star shape and patriotic colors for a festive twist on an all-time favorite recipe.
Every year, I host a cookout to celebrate the 4th of July.
And I always try to have a few red, white and blue menu items to go with my decorations.
Which is where these patriotic Rice Krispie treats come in handy.
They are star-shaped and decorated with red, white and blue. Which looks so pretty on the dessert table.
Plus you can make them ahead of time, so you can focus on other preparations for your party. Simply whip them up a day or two in advance, store them in an airtight container, and you’re good to go.
And they don’t require any baking. Perfect for those hot summer days when you don’t feel like working in an overheated kitchen.
Ingredients
This recipe makes about 16 3″ or 30 2″ Rice Krispie stars.
Here is your shopping list:
- dairy: 3 tablespoons butter
- cereal: 6 cups Rice Krispies
- candy: 1 10-ounce bag regular-sized marshmallows
- sugar: ¼ cup powdered sugar
- decorations: 1 cup blue candy melts, ½ cup red candy melts, ¼ cup white star sprinkles
Substitutions
- Substitute the same amount of mini marshmallows for the regular sized ones.
- You can use any other white variety of sprinkles, such as white sugar sprinkles or white pearl sprinkles instead of the stars if that’s what you have on hand.
How to make Patriotic Rice Krispie treats
Prep work
Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
Make the Rice Krispie treats
In a large skillet or pot, melt 3 Tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Add in the marshmallows and powdered sugar and heat until the marshmallows have melted. Stir constantly so that the marshmallows do not burn.
In a large bowl, combine the melted marshmallow mixture with the Rice Krispies cereal.
Mix well with a spoon or your hands. If you are using your hands, you can spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray first to prevent the marshmallows from sticking to you.
Quickly spread the Rice Krispie mixture evenly in the baking sheet, pressing it into a 1-inch thick sheet.
Place it aside for 10 minutes to set.
Then use a 2-inch or 3-inch star cookie cutter to cut stars in the sheet of Rice Krispie treats.
Remove the stars from the excess Rice Krispie treat mixture.
You can roll the extra bits up into balls and dip them in red and/or blue candy melts if you want to use them.
Melt the blue candy melts
Melt the blue candy melts in a small, dry, heat-safe bowl.
The bowl should be wide and deep enough to dip half of a star in it. But not so wide that the melted candy doesn’t cover enough of the Rice Krispie treat.
To melt them without burning, microwave on 50% power for 30 to 45 seconds. Then remove the bowl and stir them.
Repeat this microwave and stir process until the candy has completely melted.
If your melting candy gets chunky, it either got too hot or some water got mixed in with it. To avoid this, make sure to use 50% power and that there is no water in the bowl.
Add the blue and white decorations
Dip half of each rice Krispie treat star into the melted candy and let the extra drip back into the bowl.
Sprinkle with white star sprinkles before the candy has a chance to set.
Place the star on parchment paper and allow the melted candy to harden for a few minutes.
Add the red decoration
In another heat-safe bowl, melt the red melting candy with the same microwave and stir process that you used for the blue candy.
Transfer the melted candy to a piping bag or small plastic bag with a hole cut into the corner.
Drizzle the red melted candy over the remaining half of the Rice Krispie treat stars to make stripes.
Allow the decorated Rice Krispies to sit on the parchment paper for another 10 minutes or until the melted candy has hardened.
Serve at room temperature.
Storage
These Rice Krispie treats can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
I don’t recommend storing them in the refrigerator because they become very hard and chewy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I eat Rice Krispie treats warm or cold?
These rice Krispie treats are best served at room temperature. If they are chilled, they become hard and chewy. If they are warmed they will melt.
Can I freeze Rice Krispie treats?
Undecorated Rice Krispie treats can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Separate them with a layer of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other. Allow them to thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before adding the decorations.
Other Fourth of July ideas you might like
- More red, white and blue desserts
- My favorite 4th of July cookout menu
- Easy July 4th outdoor decorations
Or browse all of our 4th of July entertaining ideas.
Fourth of July Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 10 ounces marshmallows
- 6 cups Rice Krispies dry cereal
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup blue melting candy wafers
- ¼ cup white star sprinkles
- ½ cup red melting candy wafers
Equipment
- 9" x13" baking sheet
- non-stick cooking spray or parchment paper
- measuring cups
- 1 large skillet or pot
- 1 large bowl
- spoon to stir
- 2-inch or 3-inch star cookie cutter
- 2 small microwave-proof bowls
- piping bag or ziploc bag
Instructions
- Spray a 9" x 13" baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large skillet or pot, melt 3 Tablespoons butter over medium heat.
- Add the marshmallows and powdered sugar and cook until the marshmallows have melted. Stir constantly so that they do not burn.
- Combine the melted marshmallow mixture in a large bowl with the Rice Krispies cereal. Mix well with a spoon or your hands.
- Spread the Rice Krispie mixture evenly in the 9" x 13" baking sheet, pressing it into a 1-inch thick sheet.
- Set it aside for 10 minutes to set.
- Use a 2-inch or 3-inch star cookie cutters to cut stars in the sheet of Rice Krispies.
- Melt the blue melting candies in a small heat-safe bowl in the microwave using low power.
- Dip half of each star-shaped Rice Krispie treat into the melted candy and let the extra drip back into the bowl.
- Quickly sprinkle with white star sprinkles.
- Place the star on parchment paper and allow the melted candy to harden.
- In another heat-safe bowl, melt the red melting candy in the microwave using low power.
- Transfer the melted candy to a pipping bag or Ziploc bag with a hole cut into the corner.
- Drizzle the red melted candy over the remaining half of the Rice Krispie treat stars to make stripes.
- Allow them to sit and cool for 10 minutes or until the melted candy has hardened.
- Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- If you use your hands to mix the Rice Krispies, you can spray them with non-stick cooking spray first so that the marshmallows do not stick to you.
- To melt the candy melts, microwave on 50% power for 30 to 45 seconds. Stir. Then repeat this microwave and stir process until they are completely melted.
- If your melting candy gets chunky, it either got too hot or some water got mixed in with it. To avoid this, make sure to use 50% power and that the bowl is completely dry.
- These patriotic Rice Krispie treats can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend storing them chilled because they become very hard and chewy.
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Have comments or questions about our red, white and blue Rice Krispie treats? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on May 8, 2023 but was updated with new content on March 30, 2024.